Page:Saxe Holm's Stories, Series Two.djvu/193

Rh logic irresistible. I searched again, but with no better result. All this time, Jim had been anxiously studying Ally's face, and paying little attention to the search for the stone.

"Ally," said he suddenly, "where does it hurt you? Something hurts you, I know by your face."

"My foot, just a little bit, brother Jim, but not if I don't move it," replied Alice.

"This one?" said Jim, touching it very gently.

Ally moaned in spite of herself.

"Yes, that one, brother Jim; please don't touch it. It will be well pretty soon."

Ally had sprained her ankle. That was evident. The slightest movement or the slightest touch was more than she could bear. It was very near sunset, and fast growing cold. To carry the child down that rocky ledge, and through the scrub oak, without giving her greater torture than she could bear, seemed impossible. But it must be done.

Jim rose up very slowly, with her in his arms, saying, "Now try, dear little Ally, to bear the pain."

"Yes, brother Jim, I will; it"—but the sentence ended in a groan. Ally was very much hurt. At last, I arranged a sling from Jim's right shoulder in which both her legs could rest, and in this position she bore the motion better. As we moved slowly away from the tree, the gentle brown eyes looked back wistfully; in spite of the pain she could not forget the stone. Suddenly she cried out joyfully:—